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Panel:
Karen Harris, AIA, Architecture Matters
Inc.
David C. Hughes, AIA, David C. Hughes Architects
Kimberly Marland, AIA, Kimberly Marland, Architect
Many architects dream of striking out on their own to have a say in
the quality of design, express their talents, pursue exciting
projects, and make more money. This session addressed some of the
myths and realities of starting your own firm.
The presenters began with the Top Ten Reasons to Start Your Own
Architecture Firm:
1. You can quit working long hours for little compensation-and
start working more ridiculous hours for occasional or no
compensation.
2. You no longer answer to the whims of a capricious boss-and now
answer to the whims of capricious clients, governments, insurance
companies, landlords, and employees.
3. You can really let the creative juices flow-and worry about cash
flow.
4. You get to stamp the drawing-and get to be sued.
5. You can finally be paid what you're worth-only after you pay
everyone else.
6. You can finally have cutting-edge technology and a high-design
office environment-or you can have groceries.
7. You will no longer be assigned the crappy work-you'll do the
crappy work yourself because there's no one else to assign it
to.
8. You can design what you have always wanted to design and be true
to your own design philosophy-all you need is a client with the
same vision and the cash to back it.
9. Your talent will finally be recognized and appreciated-provided
you have a loyal canine friend.
10. It's a challenge that's hard to refuse.
Starting your own business is no small task, and there are lots of
things you may not have considered. The requisite skills and
responsibilities generally fall into five areas: organizational
development, business development, professional development, office
management, and project management. Most architects are quite
competent in project management but less so in the other areas.
Below are some of the issues related to each of these five
categories.
Organizational Development
Legal structure
Financial and debt structure
Firm name
Office location and image
Firm culture
Work process
Strategic planning and growth.
Business Development
Marketing
Networking
Public relations
Client development
Consultant development
Distinguishing oneself and developing a reputation.
Professional Development
Human resources
Mentoring and teaching
Ethics
Professional growth
Service to the profession
Service to the community.
Office Management
Accounting, bookkeeping, and cash flow
Clerical personnel
Form development
Taxes
Regulations
Procurement
Information technology
Janitorial/maintenance tasks
Filing and records clerk
Real estate broker
Librarian
Collection agent
Standard operating procedures.
Project Management
Understanding appropriate project delivery
Contracting
Scheduling
Specification research and writing
Coordinating consultants
Design
Production
Quality assurance
Construction administration
Post-occupancy evaluation
Managing paperwork
Serving the client
Collecting useful and reusable data.
Ask yourself some questions before you strike out on your own: Are
you a risk taker? Can you market yourself? Take rejection? Go
without a paycheck? Are you organized? Do you have experience in
all phases of project delivery? Are you flexible?
When you do take the plunge and start your own business, remember
that resources are available to help you. Establish support systems
with peers to share mistakes, successes, and urban legends. You can
also get a lot of help from mentors, your family, and some possibly
unexpected sources like your insurance agent and consultants. Don't
be afraid to seek professional help in your weakest areas-legal and
accounting, for example.
Other resources include a good reference library and associations
like the AIA, the Small Business Administration, and the Society
for Marketing Professional Services.
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